Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Within Wudu County, with the exception of Wudu City, which remained defended, the rest had been captured by the Western Liang army. During this period, the Western Liang army's combat strategy had undergone a significant transformation, becoming invincible and unstoppable. The root of this dramatic shift lay in the arrival of a crucial figure within the Western Liang army.

At this moment, within the Xiliang army's tent, Pang De, the commander-in-chief of the Hanzhong campaign, was seated at the lower seat. Atop the main seat sat a scholar, Li Ru, a thin-faced yet profoundly intelligent scholar. Next to him sat a burly Qiang leader, his bearing imposing and impressive, his status evident at first glance: Cheliji, King of the Western Qiang.

To ensure Ma Chao's unimpeded food supply and the successful implementation of his planned plan, Li Ru, unsure of the progress of the battle and the complex and subtle military operations involved, personally rushed to the front lines to take charge. Furthermore, thanks to the Western Qiang King Cheliji accompanying him, Li Ru's ingenious strategy and tactics gave the Western Liang army an even greater advantage, enabling them to quickly capture most of Wudu County in such a short period of time.

Although Li Ru had meticulously crafted this plan, repeatedly pondering it in his mind and confident in its feasibility and effectiveness, this matter, after all, concerned Ma Chao's life and death, as well as the long-term future of Xiliang, and he dared not slack off or take it lightly.

Furthermore, during his time in Longxi, Dong Bai's constant annoyance had given him a dreadful headache. Dong Bai's attitude towards him had completely changed. Dong Bai saw Li Ru's actions as putting Ma Chao in danger, disregarding his safety for the sake of a supposed strategic plan. This infuriated Dong Bai. Consequently, Dong Bai, in a shift from his usual respectful and docile demeanor, often approached Li Ru, clad in armor and bearing a sword, as if to question and intimidate him. Unable to bear this harassment, Li Ru, determined to ensure the smooth progress of his plan and to avoid Dong Bai's harassment, decided to personally travel to Wudu County to command this crucial battle.

Pang De, with a look of respectful devotion, sat at the head of the table and flattered Li Ru, "Sir, you are truly exceptionally resourceful, with an endless supply of brilliant schemes. Thanks to your presence, only Wudu City remains in Wudu County, holding out for dear life. The rest has fallen to Xiliang. In my opinion, Wudu City will surely be captured within half a month."

Li Ru paid no attention to Pang De's admiration and sighs. He simply said calmly, "With the mighty Xiliang cavalry and the support of the Qiang King, Cheliji, it's only a matter of time before we capture Wudu County. However, Wudu City boasts towering walls and strong defenses. Furthermore, the people of Hanzhong have been bewitched by Zhang Lu's teachings, leading them to lose their minds and become fearless. It's difficult to deploy clever strategies to quickly capture the city. For now, we can only rely on you two to storm it."

Pang De and Che Liji echoed, "Sir, your wisdom has already greatly accelerated the progress of the war. Once Wudu City is captured, the gateway to Hanzhong will be wide open, and the pressure Zhang Lu will face will inevitably increase dramatically."

Li Ru nodded slightly and said, "It is precisely because we need to put enough pressure on him that the plan can proceed smoothly."

King Cheliji of the Western Qiang, however, looked puzzled and scratched his head. He said, "Sir and Brother Pang De, I don't quite understand your circuitous strategies. Since we've already captured Wudu County, why don't we march directly to Hanzhong? If we can capture Hanzhong, the road ahead will be smooth, and we can even directly supply my brother Ma Chao with food and fodder from Hanzhong and send soldiers to support him. Why bother negotiating with them?"

Li Ru looked calm and composed as he patiently explained to Pang De and Che Liji, "Now is definitely not the best time to attack Hanzhong. If we hadn't adopted the strategy of feinting, pretending to retreat, and then launching a surprise attack, I'm afraid that at least half of the area in Wudu County would still be difficult for us to conquer. Look at Wudu County. Although most of it has been occupied by us now, only Wudu City is left isolated here, but you can also see that the strength of the believers in the city should not be underestimated, and their beliefs are extremely firm. They all swear to live and die with Wudu City. This is enough to show that although Zhang Lu lacks great ambitions, his influence in Hanzhong in terms of spreading doctrines and controlling people's hearts is extremely huge.

If we blindly attack Hanzhong, even if we ultimately capture it, we will inevitably incur a heavy price in casualties. Wudu City's forces have already demonstrated considerable combat capability, not to mention Hanzhong City itself, serving as its main base. Furthermore, if we were to challenge their doctrines, it would only serve to bolster their resolve in a relentless resistance. Hanzhong's rugged mountainous terrain is a serious challenge for our cavalry, skilled at long-distance raids. A long march would severely strain our troops and morale. Imagine if our army were blocked here and a major war broke out, a determined defense could potentially last for even longer, not just a year or two. This would undoubtedly severely impact our overall strategic plan.

Our most crucial goal now is to open up the grain route, allowing the smooth transport of food and fodder for our Xiliang army, while also creating a safe escape route for the young master to return to Xiliang. As for Hanzhong, if we truly desire to capture it, it's only a matter of time. I've carefully studied Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. He's not without ambition, but the influence of his teachings and his ability to rally the people are considerable. With him guarding Hanzhong, we can not only prevent the westward expansion of Chang'an and the numerous princes in Guandong, but also curb Liu Zhang of Yizhou, trapping him in Yizhou and preventing him from making any moves. This will also prevent him from colluding with the imperial court and posing a greater threat to us. Therefore, we choose to threaten him, forcing him to negotiate with us; this is far more appropriate than directly forcing the capture of Hanzhong. After all, all of these plans now must await the young master's safe return, only then can we further focus on our ambition to dominate the world."

Both of them showed an expression of humility and eagerness to learn, and hurriedly paid sincere respect to this man of extraordinary wisdom. They dared not be disrespectful or disrespectful to Li Ru in their hearts. After all, his reputation as a "poisonous scholar who caused chaos in the country" was already well-known. The ingenious strategies he had used in the past were often unexpected and interconnected, making his opponents tremble with fear.

In reality, the strategies Li Ru deployed during his visit to the Wudu front were relatively mild compared to previous campaigns. Because he still considered negotiating peace with Zhang Lu, he refrained from resorting to ruthless tactics. Even when capturing the numerous cities under Wudu County's jurisdiction, he prioritized appeasing the local population, avoiding harsh measures. Li Ru was well aware of Young Master Ma Chao's temperament and had learned profound lessons from his previous failures under Dong Zhuo. Therefore, even these strategies and tactics, which others found fraught with difficulty, were, in fact, restrained and restrained.

Li Ru looked solemn as he carefully instructed Pang De and Che Liji: "In such a cold weather, blindly attacking Wudu City is not a good strategy. This approach will undoubtedly cause heavy casualties among our soldiers and greatly increase the number of casualties. You see, now Wudu County is the only one that is still stubbornly holding on. Once Wudu City is breached, the gates of Hanzhong will be completely open, and old Zhang Lu must be in extreme panic. Therefore, we don't need to attack the city so hard at this moment. We can just attack the city as usual. There is no need to rush. "We're attacking with all our might. Zhang Lu must be racking his brains trying to figure out how to negotiate peace with us. When they arrive, we'll simply assume a siege posture to intimidate them. Whether or not Wudu City is captured doesn't significantly impact our current situation, so why sacrifice so many lives in vain? As long as we maintain our offensive posture, like a sword hanging over Zhang Lu's head, we'll give him time to calm down and think, and he'll naturally come to negotiate peace."

Pang De and Cheliji understood the meaning and accepted the order silently. Then they turned around and arranged the subsequent military operations according to the order.

After six or seven days, Yang Song, his demeanor impulsive, led the envoys on a galloping journey, finally arriving at the raging battlefront. By this time, most of Wudu County had already fallen, leaving only Wudu City standing alone. Yang Song and his companions successfully entered the city, and the gates slowly opened in anticipation, as if welcoming the dawn of hope.

As soon as they entered the city, Wudu's defenders and devout believers swarmed forward. Their eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation, as if they had finally seen a glimmer of light in the vast darkness, a glimmer of their lord's attention and a turning point in their situation. Weary yet hopeful faces came forward, murmuring their inner joy and longing for reinforcements.

Seeing this, Yang Song quickly soothed the crowd with gentle words. His voice was steady and powerful, like a spring breeze caressing hearts, gradually calming the restless crowd. The guards, unable to contain their anxiety, gathered around Yang Song, asking, "Sir, does the lord have any plans? We have held out here for so many days, it's been incredibly difficult, and we've only been able to hold on thanks to our faith."

Yang Song wore a relaxed smile and deliberately raised his voice so that everyone around him could hear clearly: "Everyone, relax! The lord has successfully captured Ma Chao, the young master of Xiliang. Now the danger to Wudu is like a candle in the wind, and it will disappear in an instant."

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a huge rock dropped into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves. Wuwei City erupted in excitement, with cheers and cries of joy mingling. Soldiers embraced one another, tears of excitement glistening in their eyes. They could already see the flag of victory flying high on the city walls, the dawn of peace about to spread across this war-torn land.

One day, the sun shone brightly on the walls of Wudu. As usual, the Western Liang army, arrayed in neat formations, their cries of battle resonating with the earth, launched a fierce siege. Suddenly, there was movement on the tower. A banner waving in the wind hung high above, swaying. Immediately, the defenders shouted at the top of their lungs, "Emissaries from Hanzhong are seeking a meeting with the commander of the Western Liang army to discuss peace!"

The soldiers of the Western Liang army currently sieging the city had been mentally prepared for this. For some time, they had been well aware of the subtle shifts in the situation and knew that the stalemate would eventually see a turnaround. Upon hearing that Hanzhong had finally dispatched an envoy, they felt a sense of relief and temporarily suspended their ferocious assault. A lieutenant quickly ran to the front of the military tent, knelt on one knee, and reported this crucial development to Li Ru within.